I would not limit his normal feed. Good nutrition is what he needs. IMO
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I'll try and catch him later to weigh him and take pics of the bottom of his feet.Looks like he may have the beginnings of Scaly Leg Mites. Work some Castor Oil or NuStock Cream up and under the scales of the legs/feet a couple of times a week for at least a month and see what they look like.
Photos of the bottom of his feet, just in case something is going on there?
Possible he may have something else going on. Weigh him and actually give us a weight on him instead of guessing. A mature heritage RIR is about an average of 8.5lb+/-
If he's over that, then cut back on the scratch and let him focus on eating his normal feed.
Do check him over for lice/mites and that his crop is emptying. With him not roosting, make sure you keep the bedding clean and refreshed where he is sleeping at night.
No, I wouldn't separate him, that would cause him a great deal of stress.I'll try and catch him later to weigh him and take pics of the bottom of his feet.
Would I have to separate him or treat everyone? Should I try Ivermectin since they had mites?
I found mite eggs on one of the hen's vents and mites on another hen's vent. I washed those hen's bums with soap and water and sprayed everyone with Permethrin and cleaned the coop and sprayed their coop and my yard with permethrin. I checked them on Tuesday when I sprayed everything with neem oil and didn't see any mites. I've never actually seen any mites on him.No, I wouldn't separate him, that would cause him a great deal of stress.
Are the mites on the body and inside the coop/housing gone? How did you treat them?
While Ivermectin can help in treating Mites, they must also be eliminated from the housing too or you'll never break the cycle.
I found mite eggs on one of the hen's vents and mites on another hen's vent. I washed those hen's bums with soap and water and sprayed everyone with Permethrin and cleaned the coop and sprayed their coop and my yard with permethrin. I checked them on Tuesday when I sprayed everything with neem oil and didn't see any mites. I've never actually seen any mites on him.
The article below will help you i.d. whether you are dealing with lice or mites. Finding eggs (on the feather shaft?) sounds like lice.@Wyorp Rock I actually have some sulphur I bought a few years ago the last time they had mites. I think I'll mix some of that with Vaseline or mineral oil and apply it to all of their feet. I'm also reading that I should treat their coop and the yard. Would I use Permethrin or can I use neem oil ?
From that article, it does look like they most likely had lice. I checked them last week and didn't see any.The article below will help you i.d. whether you are dealing with lice or mites. Finding eggs (on the feather shaft?) sounds like lice.
I've only used Permethrin poultry dust and/or spray, to treat birds and housing, so can't say how effective Neem oil or sulphur would be.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/
So I was finally able to weigh him. He's about 10 pounds. I soaked his feet this morning and saw that his belly is red and raw. And I think he has both northern fowl mites and red mites. They were gray and brownish red and I think they were moving too slow to be lice. I only saw these on him. I tried to take a picture when one of them crawled on me. Oh, and I don't think he has bumblefoot.The article below will help you i.d. whether you are dealing with lice or mites. Finding eggs (on the feather shaft?) sounds like lice.
I've only used Permethrin poultry dust and/or spray, to treat birds and housing, so can't say how effective Neem oil or sulphur would be.
https://the-chicken-chick.com/poultry-lice-and-mites-identification/